That was AMAZING! There aren't even words, just so much squeee packed into 9 little chapters! I was absolutely riveted- it was just so... Buffy! Great characterisation, fits into the canon, suspenseful, HOT and so quippy I couldn't even believe that it only has 40 odd reviews! One of the best Spuffy fanfictions I've ever read. Yay! xx

I'm knew to Buffy fanfiction, so I haven't read much, but you seemed to have just... *got* the characters! This is the only time, while reading, I was actually able to *see* the actors in my head. Bravo! You are truly an amazing writer.

And I know it's been awhile sense you wrote the story, but I still have to ask...sequel? Please? :-)

Ah, what a treat... loved the whole set-up, and why did the show never put Spike in a tuxedo, exactly? Hee.

Thanks for writing this, I enjoyed it immensely!

anon chapter 9 . 5/29/2006

Nicely done. I really enjoyed it, enough to want to give a wee bit of hopefully constructive criticism. I think the vampire healing speed was overdone. Remember, we have seen bruises last a while on Spike. So, I really think a broken leg would take longer than minutes to heal. Likewise with damage to his heart, although I don't think he really needs his heart to be ... in decent shape to keep functioning, so that isn't too important.

Overall, though, it is well done. I liked how you wove in hints of Willow's transformation as it was in cannon at the time, and Xander was spot on.

I loved it. Full of lovely touches, like Spike's stint at ruling the world, and the (second mention of) the redhead in St. Petersburg. The dialogue could have been from an ep... indeed the whole thing could have been an ep. Spike's song in OMWF makes more sense in the context Buffy's mixed signals in this fic. But your Buffy was also sympathetic. Sometimes in fic her rhetoric about Spike's soulless state seems pro forma or willfully blind... but in your fic, his nature is a source of genuine internal conflict and pain. Excellent job. Thank you.

- caia

caia chapter 1 . 10/9/2004

Hi, this is caia (thisficklemob on LJ). I just noticed this fic on LadyAnne's list. So far (1st chapter) I'm enjoying it very much. Thanks!

Thank you all so much for the lovely feedback and encouragement. There are no words to say how very, very much it's appreciated.

As for continuing this particular story...well, it was designed to lead directly into "Once More with Feeling," and there's no way I could possibly top JW's musical masterpiece, so...

Would you instead settle for a Spike/Buffy story that's set near the end of AtS S5? It's about halfway done. I had to put it aside for a time in favor of Real Life, but I hope to make some serious progress on it this weekend. I don't want to post it until it's finished, but hopefully very soon since it's not nearly as long as this story was.

Again, thank you all. You're the icing on my fanfic-writing cake! (Hey, at least I didn't claim to be cookie dough...)